The children of IS-linked families must not be treated as extensions of their parents – but individuals shaped by years of trauma | Peta Lowe

Islamic State committed extraordinary brutality. But how Australia treats the children returning from Syria is a test of our humanity

The return of Australian women and children from Syrian detention camps this week has reignited a familiar public debate – fear, anger, outrage and politics. Three women were arrested on arrival and face serious allegations linked to terrorism and slavery offences.

But beneath the headlines and the language of “Isis brides” sits a more uncomfortable reality: many of the children stepping on to Australian soil this week have spent much of their lives in camps shaped by war, deprivation, ideological extremism and chronic instability.